how many species of mushrooms are edible?

Answer 1

"Mushroom" is a generic term usually applied to edible cap fungi (those with a stalk and a cap, rather than bracket fungi which grow out like a shelf, usually from trees). There are, however, cap fungi which are NOT edible, and non-cap varieties which ARE edible.

Edible fungi are highly nutitious, containing vitamins and minerals and essential oils and fats without containing the cholesterol-type saturated fats found in meat and other animal products.

There are perhaps several hundreds of species of fungi worldwide that are edible, including:-
* Commercial Mushrooms
* Horse Mushrooms
* St. George's Mushroom
* Chanterelles
* Oyster Mushrooms
* Parasoll Mushrooms (my personal favourite - some are as large as a dinner plate and delicious cooked in butter)
* Boletus (Cep) Species
* Beafsteak bracket fungi
* Truffles (the most highly prized of all the edible fungi, top quality specimens being worth more than their weight in gold).

[the list above is mainly those found in the UK and is by no means exhaustive. There are many individual species within many of the groups mentioned, for example there are many different species of ceps and truffles]

Fungi also include the moulds that are used to flavour "blue" cheeses such as Stilton and in the wider context these can therefore also be regarded as edible fungi.

Many others, particularly the very numerous Rusulla species, have a hot peppery taste and are dried and used as seasoning.

And still others are such as Psilocybe semilanceata (magic mushrooms) are eaten for their drug effects. The Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria), the classic red toadstool with the white spots on, contains powerful halucinogenic compounds and also two toxins. The toxins have opposite effects and at one point in the growth cycle counterbalance each other so that the fungus can be safely eaten solely for its drug effect (this is highly dangerous unless you REALLY know what you're doing!).

You should never eat any fungus that you find growing in the wild unless you are absolutely certain of its identification as some edible species closely ressemble other types that are highly toxic. There is even at least one species, Amanita rebescens (common name: The Blusher) which has a toxin that is destroyed by heat and is therefore deadly when raw but perfectly safe when cooked.

One of the most deadly fungi is the Death Cap, Amanita phalloides, which contains the powerful neurotoxin Phalloidin, for which there is no known antidote. The main danger with this fungus is that it takes several days before symptoms appear, by which time the poison is deep within the victim's nervous system and only continual blood transfusions and dialysis over several days is likely to have any chance of saving you from convulsions, coma and an agonising death.

Answer 2

There are thousands of regularly harvested edible mushrooms in the world, in addition to literally hundreds of thousands of other potentially edible species. Some species are highly prized because they are not or cannot be cultivated and must be harvested from natural settings. Check safety rules under mushroom hunting, however, before assuming any wild mushroom is edible. Even if a mushroom is edible, it doesn't mean it will taste good. Some non-poisonous mushrooms, like bitter bolete, have extremely foul taste.

Answer 3

There are thousands of regularly harvested edible mushrooms in the world, in addition to literally hundreds of thousands of other potentially edible species.

Answer 4

i heard that there r 17 different types of edible mushrooms.

Answer 5

there are 14 varieties that are edible but i prefer only 3.as the portabella which has a meaty taste and can be cut thick like a burger

Answer 6

Do yourself a favor and just eat them from the supermarket. I ate some wild ones and ended up in hospital...shat my guts out for 3 days and vomited blood as well...I nearly died.

Answer 7

Cow pie mushrooms.
But, watch out for the bull, he may charge you.
And be careful of the electric fence!!

Answer 8

i don't have a clue but the ones that grow in cow manure are real good if you want to see things hahaha but watch out for the farmer he may think your after his beef